Yang Min-hyuk Signs For Tottenham Hotspur: 8 Highlights From the Teenager's Season So Far | OneFootball

In the midst of a highly successful 2024 season, which has seen Yang Min-hyuk take K League 1 by storm, turn from semi-pro to pro, score eight times and assist three, and overall help an improved Gangwon FC side rise up the table, today (July 28th), the news has officially broke: the 18-year-old winger will be joining Tottenham Hotspur from January 2025. To celebrate the occasion, Nathan Sartain looks at some of Yang's highlights in a Gangwon shirt so far.

Starting as he meant to go on, it would take just over 30 seconds for Yang Min-hyuk to get his first goal contribution in Gangwon FC's first team. After the ball broke to him, his shot deflected off Lee Sang-heon to head into the net, perhaps setting the tone for what was to come straight from his debut.

A First Goal

Just one week later, Yang Min-hyuk would go one better. Against Gwangju, the young winger would win the ball high up the pitch and calmly dribble forwards, before his curling effort would fly into the corner. Sadly, Gangwon would go on to lose that game 4-2, but it was already starting to become evident they had a very exciting prospect on their hands.

As Gangwon FC would settle into form during May, so too would Yang Min-hyuk. The start of this hot-streak came when the 18-year-old netted against title-challengers Pohang Steelers, though the highlight of the month was undoubtedly his goal in a 2-1 victory over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. There, Yang would rocket the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle, giving the Bears vital early momentum.

Young Player of the Month

Capping off this period of form from May, Yang Min-hyuk would follow-up on his April achievement of being the youngest recipient of the K League Young Player of the Month accolade, by winning it for the second consecutive month. Richly deserved, it was a bookmark in the quickly developing career for the winger, and recognition his skill was not going unnoticed.

Sinking Suwon FC

With Gangwon looking up for challenging at the upper-echelon of K League 1, they went into a home match against Suwon FC knowing a win could temporarily put them top of the table. And, after Yago Cariello put the hosts in front, it was none other than Yang Min-hyuk who would firmly secure the three points for the Bears, with a composed finish that highlighted developments in that area of his game. Now, not only was there belief that Gangwon could have a star in their ranks, but that with a consistently delivering squad, AFC Champions League qualification was nowhere near out of the question for the club.

Moving on, the logical next step was to sign Yang Min-hyuk to a fully-fledged professional deal. And that was formalised on June 17th, via a livestream, months ahead of the initial end-of-year plan. Gangwon had now acknowledged the undeniable success of their star rookie, amidst growing rumours of European interest.

At the Double

After going six games without a goal contribution, Yang Min-hyuk would return to the headlines with a double against Jeju United, making him the youngest K League player to score multiple times in a single game. The first, a curling effort from a well-worked corner routine, would put Gangwon 2-0 up, before a seamlessly-placed second-half volley from inside the box that cemented the points for the Bears. And, while young players should always be allowed the chance to develop away from undue expectation, it was becoming hard to avoid thinking about the quickly-growing rumours of a Premier League move for the winger.

Pressure? What Pressure?

As conversation started to develop about Yang Min-hyuk signing for Tottenham Hotspur, amidst a season which had seen the 18-year-old awarded three consecutive Young Player of the Month accolades, be voted into the Team K League game against Spurs, and develop into a focal point of Gangwon's attack, the direct winger would show he was laser-focused on the task at hand for his current club with a goal and assist against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

For his goal, after a sharp passage of buildup play, the ball would find itself at Yang Min-hyuk's feet from just outside of the box, before a deft touch gave him a shooting opportunity he was never going to pass up. And, true to his current form, the 18-year-old winger would put Gangwon into the lead with a top-corner strike.